Huntsville gazette., 1887-12-24

| certainly as vast. The river was frozen so
soldly that with difficulty water was Sc
cured for the little handful Of stock and the
family. The corn and potatoes were almost
| gone and could not last, with the most
frugal economy, beyond the end of the year.
The weather had a constant zero temper
ature, and at night the cold was doubly in
| tense. Almost daily wild northern storms
swept down through the forest and seemed
| intent on filing the open space to the level
| of the tree tops. The snow came from the
far Arctic regions and its contemporaries,
the snow buntings, red polls, cross-bills,
| pine finches and long spurs came as part
of the Billiards, furrying like snow flakes
and driven from the polar regions for food
| by the intense severity of the weather. The
| little mill, wheels in the distance had long
since ceased to grind for want Of water, and
! the sparse inhabitants had to pound into
coarse meal what little corn they had re-
naming.
| Beaux no longer came to the feet of Mary;
some climates are too severe for even the
rosiest glamour Of heart-bursting love.
Game had ceased to approach the clearing,
warned away by the rifle of the log cab
| in, and the SHOWS were too deep for the
| hardy pioneer to enter the chase, even
| though the family starved at home. In
| the cabin of the Smiths only mother
and Mary were brave. Marys are always
| brave fearless and hopeful. Show me o
| girl of that name and will pin this state
ment on her shoulder and defy you to take 1t
off. Mary Smith felt the poverty of the
family circumstances, while the men
seemed oblivious to the near starvation of
the family. She saw it months before, and
often left her food untouched that six por-
tionS might do for seven. When the family
almost fought for the nearest place to the
fire, she remained in the outskirts of the
circle and gave it her part Of the warmth.
Andrew Jackson might have divided his
acorns with his soldiers, but she gave all
her potatoes to her brothers. l despise
your narrow-brained, narrow-hearted So
ciety girl, who takes every thing and re-
turns nothing, who lives in the deluge of
horses, vehicles, flowers, amusements, din
ners and gifts of her admirers returning
only the barrenness Of her smiles, her ca
prices, her tyranny, her empty thanks, and,
at last, throws her wrecked system on some
poor deluded man, whom she either drives
to suicide or divorce. Give to me the girl
with her big heart, her big amiability, her
big reciprocal capacity and her big sympa-
thetic nature, who can not only receive
every thing, but give every thing. care
not whether she comes from castle or hovel,
in a chariot or on foot, with jewels in pro-
fusion or rags in plenty, so that her nature
is broad. | can love her without beauty
and with breadth, but never with beauty
and selfshness. Oh, Mary SMITH When
Christmas came the potatoes had disap-
peared, the corn was all consumed, the last
slice of bacon no more-there was nothing
81 i
the North wind threatened the destruction
of the cabin, and the river was frozen solid,
and the game seemed buried in the SHOWS
of the forest, and the neighbors were starry
ing in the distant novels.
What did she do! Did she moan like the
men, or whine in anguish at the pangs of
hunger, or curse the wilderness for It's bar
renness. mol not she. Still reigned the
sweetness of her eyes as she smiled, and
tears of sympathy would come stealing
down her cheek when her little brother, the
baby threw his arms about her neck and
begged piteously for bread 1t was with
calmness that she spoke when the family
sank down to die in despair: "Fear not;
our Father who feeds the buntings on the
seeds of the wild weeds that are made to
lift their heads above the SHOWS to furnish
them with food will this day give US bread"
It was still early in the forenoon of that
terrible day. The storm was most furious.
The fire sank low in the cabin and no one
made a move to replenish it. A report like
that of gun was heard seemingly in the
distance, but failed to arouse the little
group The next instant all was commotion
and terror. The door burst open and stag
of great size partially fell through and lay
dead on the floor. The family stood around
in aInazement at this remarkable event,
while the bitter cold wind swept in and
snoWfakes shot between the long antlers
Of the stag and struck the faces Of the
Smiths. Mary spoke first:
This is our Christmas dinner, boys. You
must skin the noble animal while he Is
warm and | will soon have the fire roaring
for his reception
But whence came the buck, child" said
the father sternly.
That is more than we kn ow. I thought
l heard shot, but if so, where is the marks
man to claim his booty2''
II too heard a shot, and if the hunter does
not appear before the animal is dressed we
must know the reason why"
In few moments, eager hands had re-
moved the skin sufficiently to secure the
choice portions of the meat. Meanwhile
Mary kept thinking about the shot she
seemed to have heard. She went to the